God described Job this way:
“There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil” (Job 1:8).
However, when he lost his children, wealth, and health, his friends came to “comfort” him and spent many hours trying to convince Job that his difficulties were a sign of God’s displeasure.
Sitting in a pile of ashes covered with sores, having lost his wealth and his children, Job's friends added to his suffering.
Sadly, many Christians think like Job's friends, assuming that if something bad is happening to a fellow believer, that believer must have done something to deserve it.
They might suggest the Christian is sick because they don't have enough faith to be healed. Or they may "comfort" grieving parents by suggesting they are somehow responsible for their adult child's sinful choice.
But God clearly rebuked Job's friends, saying, “You have not spoken the truth about me” (Job 42:7).
Some things happen because of a sinful action: a drunken driver hits a pedestrian, a smoker develops lung cancer, or a thief gets caught. But when there's no clear cause and effect, we shouldn't invent one.
So when we feel inclined to assign blame for a person's problems, let's ask God for His compassion and understanding instead.
You might want to read Hindu Karma Isn't Biblical because, in some ways, Job's friends expressed a belief in Karma although they didn't call it that. And Kick 'Em When They're Down highlights how people often blame God's people when they face difficulties and how we can respond when that happens.
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Very true! Job has so many gold nuggets in it and this is one of them... I don't want to be a blamer or poor comforter like his friends were...
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